The present invention relates to placement devices for a catheter and guide wire.
Before the present invention, the use of central venous pressure (CVP) catheters in conjunction with hemostasis valves have been known. According to the usual procedure, a guide wire is placed in the patient, and the catheter is placed over the guide wire, after which the guide wire is removed from the catheter such that the guide wire facilitates placement of the catheter in the patient. After placement of the catheter, a syringe is utilized in conjunction with the valve which controls the passage of fluid through the catheter.
It has been found relatively difficult to construct a valve which operates in a suitable manner in conjunction with the guide wire. It has been proposed to use a valve having a valve member with a plurality of slits in order to control the passage of fluid therethrough. Further, it has been proposed to utilize a valve assembly retaining the valve member and having a slide member to open and close the valve member response to attachment and removal of the syringe from the valve assembly. However, in this configuration, the valve member obstructs removal of the guide wire through the valve during placement of the catheter and valve assembly.